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Sunday, January 25, 2009

30,000 participate in Walk for Life West Coast

More than 30,000 pro-lifers flooded San Francisco’s waterfront Saturday, capping a week of anti-abortion demonstrations coinciding with the 36th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling.

The 5th Annual Walk for Life West Coast was also held just one day after President Barack Obama reversed the Bush administration's ban on federal funding of international groups that perform abortions or provide abortion information.

"Women deserve better. Men deserve better. We all deserve better than abortion," Feminist for Life speaker Karen Shablin, a former member of the National Abortion Rights Action League, said Saturday, according to Walk for Life organizers.

For the past five years, the Walk for Life West Coast has been trying to reach out to women who have been affected by abortion and to show support for them and for women in crisis pregnancies – an aim slightly different from that of the much larger rally on the East Coast which drew up to 250,000 in Washington Thursday and raises awareness from a political standpoint.

This year’s rally in San Francisco took on a more political tone, however, as it was held just four days after the inauguration of President Obama, who many pro-life conservatives believe is on track to becoming the most pro-abortion president in the history of the nation.

"President Obama is the fulfillment of what the abortion industry always wanted and that was a black face to validate abortion," said the Rev. Clenard Childress, a Baptist pastor and founder of BlackGenocide.org who has spoken at the Walk since its inception in 2005.

As Feminist for Life’s Shablin, an African American, pointed out during Saturday’s rally, 37 percent of abortions are performed on black women – who make up only 13 percent of the population.

A short distance away, a few hundred counterdemonstrators gathered with signs proclaiming support for abortion rights, same-sex marriage and a variety of other causes. Some spoke of finding common ground.

"I feel for the other side," said Patricia Jameson, 24, of San Francisco.

She said she worked against abortion as a youth minister until three years ago, when she was raped by her pastor and had an abortion. Now, she said, "I can't imagine my life without the fact that I can choose."

"In a lot of ways, the pro-choice and pro-life people are not that far apart," said Eleanor Levine, 66, of Oakland, whose pink Styrofoam coronet read, "Imagine Peace." Many of the anti-abortion marchers probably voted for Obama and oppose war, she said, and "it's important that we figure out how to get together."

"They want to protect women as well," said Marcela Smid, 28, a UCSF medical student who has performed abortions under a doctor's supervision at San Francisco General Hospital. "We just see reality very differently."

The tone was more confrontational along the route of the march on Embarcadero, where some abortion-rights advocates shouted at the marchers and gave thumbs-down signs while others chanted slogans like, "If you don't like abortion, then don't have one."

Some anti-abortion marchers shouted back, but the two sides stayed on opposite sides of a police barrier. There were no arrests or incidents of violence, said Sgt. Lyn Tomioka, a police spokeswoman.

The marchers, 10 to 15 abreast, covered the length of the Embarcadero from the foot of Market Street northward as they trekked toward Marina Green for a closing rally.

I was there with my family. It was quite a nice march. This was our first one, so I don't know how it compares with past marches, but the opposition was quite visible -- it marched parallel to us as we went down the Embarcadero. One woman in the opposition had a sign that read: "City of peace and love, get the f**k out." The sign that disturbed me the most was a big white sheet that had written on it: "ABORT CHRISTIANITY." Imagine a world without Christianity. The ugliness that you see in the pictures of the opposition would be just the beginning.

One of the paragraphs wasn't quite complete, and the bias of the Chronicle is ridiculous...

The tone was more confrontational along the route of the march on Embarcadero, where some abortion-rights advocates shouted at the marchers and gave thumbs-down signs while others chanted slogans like, "If you don't like abortion, then don't have one," (should continue)while most of the others swore at little children and repeatedly flipped off everyone of a pro-life mindset.

The march was great this year. I think there were more than 30,000, if last years numbers of 25,000 were correct. This was WAY bigger than last year. The counter protest was bigger as well.

I can't wait for next year. I hope everyone reading this will consider going.

I was there for the first time: native SFcan, I was "prochoice" for a good 20 years -- what changed me was seeing crime against animals, against our earth etc.-- -- I found my voice very loud and hypocritical --
I believe we're linked -- I don't believe in selective killing -- I changed -- I was very impressived with the walk and very happy that it's growing:
I listen to a lot of independent radio & about 2 weeks prior to the walk I heard a young woman begging people to attend the protest against us -- she was scared -- she said that it was the Catholic Church running the show and that we support the minute men, and that we support war, and support Bush and are all republicans -- she threw in the kitchen sink also -- she was desperate and that's a sign-- and that's the only sign you read.
To those who were disturbed by the paper signs - DON'T-- I was on the sidelines all the way -- you just smile and look at the beauty of the world around you -- I don't remember one face on the sidelines -- but I do remember the birds and the ships, the beauty of our city. I don't know -- I grew up with three brothers in the house I got used to turning it off and moving on. Enjoy it -- and thank God that we can all speak -- & have a say -- go to a military cemetary & you'll see the beauty of the protest -- Walk like you mean it -- and fly over the muck -- don't get your feet dirty by wasting your education on reading garbage -- move on -- respect, walk with peace, and think of something that makes you happy and SMILE

I attended this wonderful event with my husband, daughter (8yrs.), and mother in law..for the first time. What a blessing this was for everyone involved. For the culture of death supporters, I noticed a recurring theme of their opposition which was "self". All of the arguments and hatred spewed towards our 32,000+ revolved around "I,ME and MY". It seems that they want what is right for them and not the unborn. I am a firm believer that God does not make mistakes, no pregnancy is a mistake and whether that baby has been conceived to bless the biological mother/father's life or an adoptive family's life, it is just that...a blessing!! My family and I prayed the rosary the entire length of the march and felt the presence of our Blessed Mother with us. I noticed the fierce presence of the youth marching with us. WOW!! I also want to mention the police of SF...thank you officers!! At the start of the march, barely five minutes in...a culture of death supporter approached us and attempted to hand my daughter a condom and yelled at her "use this when you f#%k and you won't need an abortion!" I felt the anger start to well up inside of me, but thankfully as the man was yelling at us, a SF police officer came out of no where and said to the man,"Hey, move back on the side walk..NOW!!" The man again attempted to force the condom on my daughter and the officer had to physically move the man to the sidewalk. As he did this, the officer made eye contact with me and winked, giving me a "thumbs-up" as he turned away. YAY!! Thank you officer if you read this!! I highly recommend this event for everyone! I do believe that this will be come an annual event for the Kramer family....God Bless You all!!